When the Darkness comes
by Sakuyan
Summary: AU. Don and Charlie met over the internet and became best friends. After five years of friendship with two of those years being spent together, they begin the process of closing the distance.
1. Chapter I

**Authoresses Note: **This is one of the few works I've written in recent weeks that I feel like posting on . I'm not inactive; rather, I post on AO3 (Archive of Our Own) far more frequently. If you'd like to check out more of my works that haven't found their way on my profile, you can find me under **KaixChan**.

**Rating: **M for some sexual content.

**Pairing: **Don/Charlie.

**Notes: **The brothers Eppes aren't brothers in this piece. It was inspired by my love, **WookieCookie**, who suggested the pairing, LDR AU, dirty talk, and phone sex. It was meant to be a one-off but more ideas hit me and I ended up writing more to it than I intended. I hope others enjoy this work and any commentary you have is appreciated.

* * *

**When the Darkness comes  
Chapter I  
**_Underneath the echoes, buried in the shadows, there you were.  
_

* * *

The instant Charlie opens the picture, he presses his hand to his forehead in exasperation. Of course. He should have known.

"I told you _how _many times, Don Eppes? I don't want your dirty pictures."

"That's an outright lie and we both know it."

The genius stares at his lover, a man who ironically shares the same last name as him but they weren't related in the slightest. He ran the probability of that the moment they met in a chatroom and wasn't surprised when they were remarkably low.

"Maybe. Did you know one time I opened one during work and my colleague had to contain her nosebleed? It was embarrassing."

Don snorts. "I should be embarrassed that some random woman saw that but I'm not."

"You have no shame."

"You may have a point there, Chuck."

Charlie points at his webcam, hating the smirk on Don's face. "I also told you I hate that name but you insist on calling me it for some reason."

"Your reactions are priceless, that's why."

The older man is improbable, Charlie decides, because nothing is impossible but things can be improbable. Rolling his eyes, he sheds his shirt, because it was late and he was going to bed in an hour.

"Have you been working out?" Don asks shamelessly and Charlie can see his eyes lowering.

_Pervert, _Charlie mutters, mentally, moving away from the camera to find his pajama top and boxers. Effectively changing, he moves back towards the webcam, lowering it so he can sprawl out on the bed. "No, but I've been biking a bit more than usual."

"Damn."

"I've told you this before and I'll tell you again; you're a shameless pervert."

"You still love me," his lover says with that ever confident smirk and Charlie finds himself falling in love all over again.

"You're right," he replies, responding to the smirk with a small smile. "I still do."

**X**

"Chuck, you do realize what time it is, right?"

"Um-…"

"It's 2 in the morning and I have to be up in four hours."

An embarrassed chuckle. "I'm sorry, man. We haven't talked in a week because of your latest case and when you said you were free I couldn't help myself—"

"It's fine, babe," Don murmurs, his tone dropping to this side of sultry, "but you'll have to make it up to me."

"Er, okay." Charlie blinks, not that Don can see, and he adorns a confused expression. "What do you want?"

"Talk dirty to me."

"…We tried this. I'm no good at it."

"That was when we first got together two years ago. I'm sure you've improved."

Charlie blushes heavily, never being able to resist when Don's voice went like _that. _"Fine. You'll be," an embarrassed cough, "touching yourself, so—"

"I already have the lube in my hand." The genius can practically _hear _the smirk. "Do it, Eppes."

"Turn off the lights," Charlie demands, grinning a little at the tiny moan he hears on the other end. "Lower your hand. Give yourself a little squeeze—are you doing it?"

"Fuck. You are better than before," Don gasps, squeezing a little just like his lover demanded, shivering at the pleasure that zings along his nerves. "What else do you want me to do, Chuck?"

"Squeeze harder. Move your hand up and down, slowly at first. Speed up a little then slow down. Keep doing that." Loud moans and gasps grace Charlie's ears and he feels himself getting harder underneath his jeans. "Stop."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Just do it, Eppes," Charlie says in his best I'm-a-professor-now-listen-to-me voice. "Pour enough lube in your hand that it feels like a mouth sucking you off. Do what I told you before except imagine it's my sinful little mouth sucking you off."

"Ahh, fuck," Don's voice takes on a bit of a desperate edge. Charlie stays silent but he knows the younger man is listening to every gasp, moan, and curse that falls from his lips. Not even two minutes later, the world grays out at the edges and Don's hips snap up as he comes all over his hand and chest.

"That was the best orgasm I've had in a long time," he mumbles breathlessly. "I would help you with your problem I'm sure you're having but I'm tired. Night babe."

"Goodnight Don," Charlie whispers, smiling a little as the phone disconnects. Opening up one of the (many) dirty pictures Don sent him, he takes care of himself, then gets ready for his day.

**X**

Charlie fidgets. Don never knew he was coming so he was nervous about how his lover would react. Raising a shaking hand, he knocks on the door.

"Coming, coming," Don's voice comes from the other side of the oak and the genius blushes at the word choice. The door opens, revealing the older man in a t-shirt and jeans, and his eyes widen. "Charlie?"

"Hi," he murmurs, his voice taking on an embarrassed tinge. "Surprise?"

"I—" Don falters. "What are you doing here?"

"I got time off," Charlie responds, shrugging a shoulder. "My friend took over my classes." He grins a bit. "You aren't even going to let me in after I went through all the trouble to come see you, Eppes?"

A strong hand pulls on his arm and Charlie barely has time to react before Don's mouth crashes on his. A happy moan escapes him and he wraps his arms around the older man, holding him close. "That's better," he murmurs once they break apart, foreheads pressed together.

"I'm a shameless pervert as _someone,_" a tap on the cheek, "keeps reminding me so that's the best greeting I can come up with."

"It's good enough for me." Charlie smiles. "I'm home."

"Yeah," Don replies with a smile of his own. "You are."

* * *

_**TBC**_


	2. Chapter II

**Authoresses Note: **Thanks to the review a kind guest left, I've decided to post the second chapter. -nods- For each one posted, a new chapter will be uploaded until the fifth is, because I'm in the process of writing the sixth at the moment. I'm at a stage in my writing life where the number (hah, number) of reviews aren't important; what matters is that at least someone enjoys what you're posting. So that's why I have this review policy in place. No sense posting something no one enjoys, right?

**Rating & Pairing: **See previous chapter.

**Notes: **Worry not, the chapters get longer as the story goes on. I was still in my drabble phase when this story began so the chapters were short little things. The latest one I wrote was 3,000+ words, so get excited for when that is posted, yes?

* * *

**When the Darkness comes  
Chapter** **II**  
_Drawn __into your mystery, I was just beginning, to see your ghost._

* * *

"I don't want to go back."

The words, laced with pain, snap Don out of his post-orgasmic haze and he wraps his arms tighter around his smaller lover, placing small kisses against his hair.

"I know," he whispers in Charlie's curls. "I don't want you to go back either, but we both knew this couldn't last forever."

"What if I move here?"

"Charlie," a pause, "you built your life in London, just as I built my life here in Los Angeles. Neither of us can afford to move to the other person's country right now."

"I didn't mean right now," Charlie clarifies, a tiny smile pulling at his lips, eyes shining in the moonlight with unshed tears. "We've been best friends for five years and together for two of them. Based on simple math, we can survive a couple more years until I can move here."

Don wants to say something along the lines of _You can't give up your life for me _but deep down, he knows it'll be easier for Charlie to move to Los Angeles than for him to move to London. Deciding on saying nothing, he moves his hand in slow circles on Charlie's chest.

"Mm," the younger man purrs, eyes closing. A few stray tears leak from behind closed lids and Don wipes them away with a flick of his thumb. "That feels good."

"I always want you to feel good, no matter where we are in the world. Don't forget that, okay?"

"I won't," Charlie mumbles in response, his voice taking on a sleepy slur. "Can we sleep now that we've had the best sex I've had in my life?"

"When you put it like that." Don chuckles, wraps his arms tighter around Charlie, then drifts off to sleep, knowing his younger lover would be quick to join him.

**X**

Charlie doesn't want to wake up. He wants to stay in the safe cocoon of Don's arms for the rest of his life, but he knows he can't. Blinking back tears, he moves, slowly, out of his beloved's grasp, making his way to the bathroom.

He looks at himself in the mirror and can't help the tears this time. They had a precious few hours together before an ocean would separate them again. Charlie feels as if his heart is being ripped out and stepped on, but he wouldn't trade the week he had with Don for anything.

Scrubbing his face and doing his best to make himself look presentable, he steps out, seeing the older man sitting up and rubbing his eyes in an adorable, child-like fashion. "Morning, love," Charlie greets, leaning down to press a kiss against Don's lips.

"Morning," Don mumbles, his voice gruff with sleep. "How many hours do we have?"

"Five. Do you want the minutes and seconds too?"

"Just the hours are fine, genius. You can give me the minutes and seconds when we have an hour left." Words that could have sounded hurtful come out as light and teasing. Even if they hadn't, Charlie knows that Don would never intentionally hurt him, mentally or physically.

"I don't want to leave," Charlie says, feeling the tears come back full force. "I don't want to be separated from you now that I've had a taste of what it's like to be with you physically."

Don smiles, a sad one that hardly reaches his eyes. "I know baby, I know. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get enough time off to visit you, but believe me when I say I'll try my hardest to see you again."

"I always believe you." Charlie buries himself against his lover's familiar body. "I'll try to see you soon too."

**X**

Amita greets him at the London airport, but Charlie can't muster the energy to smile at her. He feels empty ever since that goodbye hug in Los Angeles that ended with him leaving his heart behind. He remains silent as she drives them to his flat, eyes looking at the familiar scenery.

"How was your week?" Amita asks after ten minutes of silence. "Did you take pictures?"

Charlie fishes out his camera and flips through the pictures to find a suitable one to show his friend and colleague, tears burning his eyes when the memories of the past week hit him. "Here. This is us with his Dad." He hands the camera to her once they reach a red light.

Amita takes it and a wide smile breaks out on her face. "You look so happy," she says, handing the camera back to Charlie. "What's his father's name?"

"Alan." Alan was a nice man. He welcomed him with open arms the moment Charlie and Don walked in the old house. "I think he was happy that his son found someone… although he kept asking about surrogate mothers." Charlie laughs as he remembers the look on his lover's face. "I think Don was horrified by the idea."

His friend giggles. "I think any son would be," she offers, stopping in front of his flat. "Here you are. Do you want me to stay or do you have a Skype date planned?"

Charlie grins a bit. "You know me too well. I'll see you later. Thanks again, Amita."

"Anytime," Amita replies, leaning over to kiss Charlie's cheek. "Have fun."

He watches her drive off and with a wave, he enters his flat to unpack.

**X**

Charlie putters around his flat, concern making him fidget and wring his hands. He hadn't heard from Don since their Skype date two days ago and it was worrisome. His lover would at least text him if something was going on.

His doorbell dings, causing Charlie to blink before he registers it. Getting up from his chair, he looks through the peephole, seeing a man wearing sunglasses.

"Who is it?" he asks. Normally he would let them in but Don gave him quite the lecture about that so he wasn't about to make the same mistake.

"Open the door and find out, Chuck."

Chuck. Only one person called him that. Flinging the door open, Charlie latches onto his lover, burrowing his face in Don's chest.

"You're here," Charlie mumbles, his voice choked and watery. "You're actually here."

"Told you I'd try to get some time off."

Familiar arms wrap around him and for the first time in two months, Charlie feels like he's home.

* * *

_**TBC**_


	3. Chapter III

**Authoresses Note: **As promised, another review has been posted so here's the next chapter. I'm glad at least someone is enjoying this little number that's been quite the fun thing to write. I might do a deleted scenes sometime once it's finished... We'll see.

**Rating & Pairing: **See Chapter I.

**Notes: **Slight spoilers for s01e02 Uncertainty Principle. Nothing major though.

* * *

**When the Darkness comes  
Chapter** **III**  
_I'll be here, hoping, praying, that the light will guide you home._

* * *

"Now it's me who doesn't want to go back."

Charlie stares at his lover, barely registering the words. He was tired after a long day at his work and all he wanted to do was sleep.

However, he props himself on an elbow and stares at Don with an eyebrow raised. "Now you know how I felt when I had to leave you behind."

"Yeah. It hurts more than I thought it would."

"Mmmhmm."

Don chuckles at Charlie's sleepy tone. "Do you want a chance to sleep? We can talk about this tomorrow even if tomorrow is when-…"

"No," Charlie cuts him off and for a moment Don's not sure if he meant _no I don't want a chance to sleep _or _no don't talk about you leaving. _

Using his knowledge of the younger man, he guesses it's the latter. "Charlie—"

"No. Don't talk about it." Charlie's tone is firm. "We'll talk about tomorrow when it's tomorrow. I want to indulge myself in you until then."

Don wants to protest, but then Charlie takes him in his wet heat and the words die on his lips. He's reduced to guttural moans as his lover expertly plays his body, and in an embarrassingly short amount of time, he's coming down Charlie's throat and he lies back against the bed, panting.

"That's one hell of a distraction," Don mumbles, grinning a little. "I could get used to it."

"Pervert." Charlie rolls his eyes and cuddles against his lover's side. "Do you want more pictures for your phone?"

"I have enough dirty ones to last me a while. If I need more you can send some to me."

"Who says I'll send some to you?"

"I do and you can never resist me."

Charlie grumbles his annoyance but a smile is on his face. "Fine, you win."

"'Course I do. There is one picture I want though."

"What's that?" The younger man blinks, confusion painting his features. Don smiles. Charlie's truly irresistible when he's all confused.

"C'mere," Don commands, crooking his finger. He grins at the blush on Charlie's face as he scoots closer and he wraps a secure arm around him. Lifting his phone over them, he pushes the camera button, looking over the picture once it clicks. "This'll tide me over for a while."

Charlie looks at the picture, smiling a little. "I'd say it will."

**X**

Don opens his eyes, blinking against the harsh sunlight. Was the sun brighter in London or was that just him? Shaking his head at himself, he runs a hand through Charlie's hair, hating that he'll be leaving his love behind.

"Mmgh, too early," the shorter man mumbles, batting at Don's hands before settling against his chest. "What time is it?"

"Eight. I have to be on my plane by one."

"Four hours." Charlie stretches and rubs his eyes. "That's plenty of time to give us something to remember."

They make love slowly, imprinting the other's taste and feel. In almost no time at all, three hours have gone by and Don packs his things as Charlie watches.

"I hate this part," Charlie says after a few minutes of silence and Don nods his agreement.

He finishes quickly and after making sure he's packed everything, he leans over and gives his lover a fierce kiss. "You'll have to come see me next time," Don teases, mussing Charlie's hair affectionately.

"I'll see if Amita can take over some of my classes in the coming weeks," Charlie responds seriously. "She likes you, you know."

"The best friend gives me a royal stamp of approval? I'd say that's a good thing."

"It is a good thing. It's hard to win Amita's love." Charlie chuckles a little. "She didn't like that I was with someone across the ocean at first, but she warmed up to the idea once she saw how happy I was, I think."

"My Dad wasn't too happy about me being with you either. In the beginning it was because you weren't a woman but later it was that he had no idea how long distance relationships worked." Don lets loose a megawatt smile at the memory of his Dad and Charlie's first encounter. "Now he won't stop bugging me about surrogate mothers."

"One of us has to move to the other person's country first," Charlie says in a matter-of-fact tone, his own smile threatening to split his face. "Give me two years and I'll see about applying to teach at a local university. I've heard a lot about one in particular-… CalSci?"

"I've heard about that place," Don offers, double checking to make sure he didn't forget anything. It wouldn't bode well for him if he was on his plane and realized he forgot a crucial item like his cellphone. "I think the math department would do well with Professor Charles Eppes added to their roster."

"The transfer process can be painful, but I'll see about Amita helping with it. She's done it a couple times between the United States and here."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." Charlie gazes at the clock and sighs at the time. "As much as I'd love to stay with you in my flat for the rest of time, your plane leaves in forty minutes and twenty nine seconds, so we should get going."

Don pulls Charlie over for a tight hug once he notices his lover on the verge of a breakdown. "We'll see each other sooner rather than later, okay? Don't be sad."

"I'll try." The younger man smiles a little and wraps his arms tighter around the one his heart belongs to. "I love you with all my heart, you know that, don't you?"

"I know." He steals a kiss from the other half of his very self. "I love you too."

**X**

Not even two weeks after Don returns to Los Angeles, he receives a new case about a pair of bank robbers. Charm School Boys. He scoffs. There has to be a reason why they're so successful without weapons.

When three people, including an agent, die in the crossfire after they confront them, he realizes why they did so well.

Wincing at the pain in his arm, Don opens his Skype, having received a text earlier that day in which Charlie expressed concern. He barely spoke to his lover since he received the case and he could see why Charlie would be concerned after their hour long conversations resort to a few minutes in passing.

Almost on cue, the telltale ring of an incoming call graces Don's ears and he accepts it, doing his best to put on a normal face. He didn't want Charlie to be even more concerned than he already was.

"Are you okay?" the younger man asks without preamble once the call connects. "You're in pain—what happened?"

Of course. Don should have known better. He's never been able to hide things from Charlie, no matter what the situation was. "There was a bad case, that's all," he replies.

"Bad case?" Silence passes between them for several moments before Charlie says, "You got shot, didn't you?"

"In the arm. It's okay."

"You got shot." Charlie moves away from the camera for a brief moment before returning. "I'm coming to see you."

"Charlie, I'm—"

"Don't do this, Don. You're not okay. You got shot which means you almost died. I could have lost you today and I wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing about it." Charlie's voice almost goes hysterical but he puts a reign on his emotions before it gets that bad. "I'm going to book the next flight and I'll see you soon."

The call disconnects and Don sighs. _So much for not worrying him_.

**X**

He manages to get away from the case long enough to wait for his lover at the airport. One look at the times shows that Charlie's flight would land in five minutes so Don chews on a piece of gum as he waits, nervous for two reasons. One, he was seeing Charlie again. Two, the circumstances for seeing him were far from ideal.

He watches Gate 3, seeing a familiar head amongst the crowd of people exactly six minutes later. Despite the circumstances, he can't help but smile, embracing Charlie in a hug as tight as his arm would allow, loving the feel of the smaller man curling up against him.

"I know it's been less than three weeks but I missed this," Charlie mumbles against Don's chest. "I missed you."

"Same here, Chuck," Don says, resting his chin familiarly on his lover's head. "Same here."

* * *

_**TBC**_


	4. Chapter IV

**Authoresses Note: **I'm late in posting this chapter solely because I didn't check or my email for this account in a few days. My bad!

**Rating & Pairing: **See Chapter I.

**Notes: **Possibly a little out of character in one sentence. However, keep in mind that this is AU Charlie, who might not act the same way canon!Charlie does. That's it really, so enjoy the chapter~

* * *

**When the Darkness comes  
Chapter IV  
**_When you're feeling lost I'll leave my love hidden in the sun, for when the darkness comes.  
_

* * *

David and Terry became used to seeing Charlie in the office, sporting a visitors tag on his jacket. They didn't know much about the man, only what Don tells them, and even that was barely anything. It was a need to know basis, they found out after a while.

Terry's a profiler; she was trained to see little things in people, and she notices several between her boss and the somewhat mysterious man from London. They exchange subtle touches when they think no one is watching, Charlie hovers over Don while he's working in his cubicle, and Don's hand rests on Charlie's shoulder for three seconds more than a casual touch would be.

David's not trained to notice little things, but he notices things that some would skim over. He notices that his boss stands close to Charlie when other agents are around and the look on his face that clearly said "back off". The way Charlie sometimes clings to Don, his hand gripping Don's arm, his face somewhat hidden by the taller man's body, tells David that he's intimidated by other agents.

They're not sure if Don and Charlie notice the things they do, but it's enough for them to treat Charlie as one of their own. They protect him like the family the FBI can be, shielding him from the harshness of the job when Don can't. Even if Charlie only stays for a month, it's enough time for them to decipher some of his mystery and see the man that their boss is clearly head over heels for.

**X**

"You're heading back tomorrow?"

Charlie looks at Alan as they eat the dinner Don's father cooked for them, nodding as he stuffs a forkful of food in his mouth.

"He's not very graceful when it comes to eating," Don comments, wincing when Charlie kicks his leg from under the table. "Ow. That wasn't nice."

"Your fault," Charlie mutters in annoyance as he continues eating.

"Sure, blame me, Chuck."

"Boys, boys," Alan breaks the little fight with a hand wave. "No fighting at the dinner table."

"Fine, Pop," Don mumbles in good humor. He pushes his plate away after a few minutes, grinning a little as Charlie does the same. Some would find it weird how in sync they were, but Don got used to it after a while. "Charlie and I are gonna head off. Do you need anything before I go?"

"No, no," his Dad replies, smiling. "Take him home, Donnie, and use a condom."

Charlie spits out the water he was drinking as Alan goes to the kitchen. "I see where you got your perverseness from," he mutters.

"It runs in the family," Don replies with a smirk.

**X**

Their third goodbye is the most sorrowful, due to the longevity of Charlie's visit. Don hugs him tighter than normal, not wanting to let him go, but eventually Charlie pulls away, pressing a kiss against his lover's lips. He waves as he goes through the gate and Don waves back until Charlie's out of sight, and he sighs, making his way to his SUV, feeling like a piece of himself was forcibly ripped out.

Don drives to work, saying a casual hello to his team as he sits at his cubicle, remembering how Charlie hovered over him at this same spot. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he buries himself in paperwork.

"He's gone?" Terry comments when she passes her boss's desk, leaning against it. "When will he be back?"

"It's my turn to visit him," Don answers, his tone distracted, his head lowered, entirely focused on his work.

Terry knows her boss and knows it's his way of coping with the fact Charlie was gone. "Are you going to apply for some time off?" she inquiries.

"I can't for at least three months."

Terry whistles. "Can you cope without him for that long?"

"We've been dealing with distance for five years. Three months is nothing."

The short answers tell the profiler that her boss doesn't want to talk about it. Nodding, she goes to her desk, making a mental note to keep an eye on Don, at least the first few days in Charlie's absence.

**X**

Three months go by and another three on top of that. The Bureau piles case upon case on Don's team and it barely left him enough time to give Charlie a casual text to say he was still alive. At the end of the day, Don's so tired that he crawls into bed and remains dead to the world until his alarm rings at six a.m. He knows it's not fair to either of them, but he loves his job as much as he loves Charlie.

At this rate, Don thinks (with good humor) that he'll have to pick one of them sooner or later.

"You're still not gone to see him?" his Dad asks when Don finally gets enough time to have a family dinner with him. "It'll be years before you do if you keep this up."

"Charlie understands," Don says with confidence, shoving a forkful of food in his mouth. "Speaking of Charlie, I should let him know I'll be able to talk to him tonight."

He fishes out his phone and was just about to start the text message when a knock at the door stops him. Something about that knock was familiar but he shrugs it off.

Alan gets up to answer it and a few seconds later a familiar voice graces Don's ears. "You never came to see me."

Eyes widening, he turns around, coming eye to eye with Charlie who has a wide grin on his face. For a few seconds he sits there, not registering that his lover was standing right in front of him. However, it wears off when Charlie moves forward and claims his mouth in a quick, but passionate kiss.

"I've missed that," the younger man murmurs Don's lips, his grin softening to an affectionate, tender smile.

"I thought it was my turn to see you," Don whispers back, snaking his arms around Charlie and pulling him close. They went half a year without contact and as much as he wanted to reinstate his claim on Charlie, his father was standing _right there _with a smirk on his face as if he could read his son's thoughts.

"You were taking too damn long," Charlie mutters in good humor, rolling his eyes. "I realized it's easier for me to get time off than it is for you so I asked Amita to take over my classes. I'm here for two weeks."

"That's great, son!" Alan exclaims, causing Charlie to jump and turn his head. "There's enough dinner here for you if you'd like to eat actual food."

"You've read my mind," Charlie replies and he makes himself comfortable on Don's lap. At his lover's raised eyebrow he smirks. "I'm not going to stop touching you now that we're together. Besides, your lap is comfortable."

"Whatever you say, Chuck," Don says with an eye roll. Typical Charlie.

**X**

"I wanted to tell you before," Charlie begins, curled up against Don's chest, a content smile on his face, "but you were quite intent on dragging me to bed."

"Tell me what?" Don asks, grinning a little. "I haven't seen you in half a year, Charlie. 'Course I wanted to reacquaint myself with everything about you."

"I get that." Comfortable silence falls between them, the sole sounds being their quiet breathing and the rain pattering against the windows. "Amita helped me with the transfer process."

"Transfer process?" It takes a minute for what Charlie's saying to register in Don's mind, but once it does, a smile pulls at his lips. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yeah. In two months I'll be a professor of mathematics at CalSci."

After six years of friendship, three of them as a couple, they'll finally close the distance. The realization of that causes Charlie to grin, snuggling happily against his lover's side. Instead of goodbye, after this, they'll only be saying goodnight to each other.

**X**

Charlie notices some differences in Don's team when he visits his lover at his work. Terry is gone (he was expecting that, Don text him when it happened to say she returned to DC), and in her place was another woman and a man.

"You must be Charlie?" the woman greets as he makes his way through the office, extending her hand. "My name is Megan. Megan Reeves. Don told us about you."

"He did?" Charlie inquiries, shaking the agent's hand. He feels oddly touched that Don would mention him during work.

"He seems happy whenever he talks about you," Megan replies, smiling in a way that makes Charlie instantly feel comfortable around the woman.

"Charlie, good to see you again," David says as he passes, clapping a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "What brings you by?"

"I'm just visiting," Charlie says in response, his smile widening. "Who's the new agent?"

As if on cue, the new agent comes up to him and extends his hand. "Colby. Colby Granger. You're Charlie?"

"Does everyone know me?" Charlie mumbles, shaking his head in amusement, as he takes Colby's extended hand. "Yeah, I'm Charlie. Nice to meet you, Colby. You too, Megan."

"There he is," Charlie hears from behind him. Arms wrap around his waist and a kiss is pressed against his neck. "What are you all talkin' about?"

"We're just meeting the man that you're so smitten with," Colby replies, smirking at the look on Don's face. His smirk settles to a grin when Charlie erupts in full on laughter. "What's so funny?"

"Smitten with me?" Charlie says between breathless laughter, glad for Don holding him up or he might have fallen over. "That's a new one."

"You should see the doe-eyes he makes when he doesn't think you're looking," Colby continues. "It's kind of embarrassing."

"Enough about me," Don says with a hint of warning in his tone. He's glad that Charlie's laughing, but he's not so happy about the reasons. "Have you found out more about the latest case?"

The agents settle to full-on work mode and Charlie wraps his arms around Don's shoulders when the older man lets him go. He smiles at the content look on his lover's face and rests his head against Don's as he works. The love he feels in that moment makes him realize that yes, this is the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

**X**

Their final goodbye is one filled with promise of the life ahead of them. Don and Charlie smile at each other, embracing one another in the airport and giving a chaste kiss goodbye. As Charlie disappears in the sea of people, Don's smile widens, knowing that next time they see each other, they'll be together for the rest of their lives.

* * *

_**TBC**_


	5. Chapter V

**Authoresses Note: **One of the longer chapters has now made its appearance. At this point in time I'm currently writing Chapter VII so hopefully by the time I have Chapter VI out I'll have it done.

It's weird, I don't like Charlie/Amita and yet I hinted at them in this chapter. Oh well. Can't ignore canon lol.

Thanks to phantomreg for reviewing the previous chapter.

**Rating & Pairing: **See Chapter I.

**Notes: **Nothing really except enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**When the Darkness comes  
Chapter V  
**_Now the door is open, the world I knew is broken, there's no return. _

* * *

"I'll miss you."

Charlie stops his packing and looks at his best friend, a tiny smile on his face. Amita looks like a kicked puppy but he can tell she's doing her best to hide it. "You can visit me," he says by way of comfort, moving forward and resting a hand on her arm.

Her small hands grip his in a grasp that's surprisingly strong. "I know," she replies, the corner of her mouth turning up. "Do you think you'll be able to get away from Don to make time for me?"

"Of course." Charlie's surprised that his friend would bring that up. Don and Amita seemed to get along so well the one time he was here. Maybe he read their body language wrong? He was never a good study of people, even with his professor position. "I'll always have time for you, Amita."

She smiles, a real one this time, and reaches forward, wrapping her arms around him. "I like Don, I do. I can't help but be jealous at what he has."

"Jealous?" Charlie's brows furrow in confusion. Why would Amita be jealous? He returns the hug, turning it over in his mind for a few moments before realization dawns on him. "You love me, don't you?" he asks, not bothering to hide the surprise in his tone.

"Yes." Amita looks down, color flushing her cheeks, and she pulls away, looking at anything but Charlie. "I realized it after Don was here and I saw the way you looked at him. I realized _I _wanted to be the one you looked at that way." She shrugs. "I know it'll never happen. I have to move on and I've accepted that."

"Amita." Charlie sighs. He never liked hurting people, especially if they were people he was close to. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry for being happy, Charlie. I see how happy he makes you. You two were made for each other." Amita smiles and her eyes move from the wall to stare at Charlie's face. "Do you want help with packing the rest of your things?"

Charlie nods, smiles, and he's grateful that things feel normal between them despite Amita's surprising confession. "I do hope you'll visit me," he says once they've finished packing. "If you can't, I'll ask Don about coming down every couple of months to make sure you haven't died on me."

Amita laughs at Charlie's sense of humor. "I'll do my best," she replies in good humor, nudging her best friend playfully. "Same goes to you. Text me every once in a while so I know Don hasn't ravished you to death."

Charlie blushes but he nods his agreement. "I promise."

**X**

"Take care of yourself."

Charlie smiles at Amita and gives her a hug goodbye. "You too, Amita. I know you'll be great at my classes." He grins a bit. "Hell, they might forget all about me."

Amita smiles, hating the tears that threaten to spill over. They're not saying goodbye forever, she reminds herself, but Charlie's been in her life since she was ten and he was nine. It would be hard, getting used to not having him around all the time.

"Maybe," she replies once she realizes Charlie's staring at her with a concerned expression. "Now go. Call me when you land, even if it's late, okay?" Amita leans forward and kisses Charlie's cheek. "I love you."

Charlie wipes away the tears hiding in Amita's eyes. "Count on it. I love you too, Amita. You're the sister I never had."

He waves and she waves back as he disappears in the sea of people. _This is the end of one life and the beginning of another._

**X**

_On my way. I'll see you soon. I love you._

_Looking forward to it. Love you too, Charlie._

**X**

Don pockets his phone and skims through the paperwork sitting on his desk, an elated feeling bubbling in his chest. Six years. It took them six years, but they're closing the distance. A grin settles on his lips as he continues working, either ignoring the looks that people send him or not noticing at all.

Ten and a half hours later, he's at the airport, sitting on one of the chairs provided as he looks at the times on the wall. Charlie's flight would arrive in ten minutes and it would signify the beginning their new life together. If he didn't have as tight a reign on his emotions as he did, Don figures he might be crying at how happy he is.

"Don!" a voice exclaims twelve minutes later (he counted the minutes and even the seconds—Charlie was rubbing off on him). He barely has time to look up before a solid body crashes into his and arms wrap so tightly around him that Don feels like his air supply might be becoming limited. "I'm home."

Chuckling, Don wraps his arms around Charlie, nuzzling his face in his lover's neck. "You are, Chuck," he says, letting affection bleed in his voice. "You are."

**X**

They stop at Don's apartment to drop off Charlie's bags before making their way to the Craftsman. Alan told his son earlier that day he wanted them to drop by when Charlie arrived, no matter the time, so that was the reason they were on their way there at eleven p.m.

Don opens the door with his key, giving the house a preliminary inspection before nodding and ushering Charlie inside. He knows it's silly that he gave his family home a once over before letting Charlie in, but he may be a little overprotective when it comes to the smaller man.

Charlie seemed to pick up on that, as a laugh erupts from his lips and he nudges Don playfully. "It's your old house, Donnie," he says between laughs. "No bad guy is going to jump out and attack us."

"You'd be surprised," Don counters before he yells, "Hey, Pop!"

Alan comes down the stairs, a wide smile on his face once he notices who was standing in the entryway. "Charlie, Don! Good to see you boys," he says sincerely, going down the rest of the stairs to give Charlie one of his famous Alan Eppes hugs. "I hope you know what you're getting into, my boy," he teases, patting Charlie's shoulder. "You'll be living off frozen dinners and pizza."

"I think I have a good idea," Charlie teases back, grinning at the look of mock-hurt on Don's face. "I still love you even if you can't cook worth a damn," he reassures, squeezing his lover's arm before his phone rings. "Excuse me for a minute."

Charlie extracts himself from the warm, family feeling to check his phone. The caller ID causes him to raise an eyebrow before he answers it. "Hello?"

"Charles Edward Eppes!" his mother's voice screeches in his ear, just this side of hysterical. "What's this I hear about you moving to Los Angeles?"

"I've already moved here," Charlie responds, voice tight. "Why do you care? You haven't seen me in ten years."

"Don't pull that tone with me, young man! Why the sudden interest in the States?"

Charlie clenches his teeth and his body posture must have tipped Don off because he feels a comforting hand on his shoulder, kneading the muscle with a gentle touch. "If you would have paid attention to my life, _mother,_" he spits the word out with disgust, "you'd have known I met someone six years ago and we've been together for three."

"What?! Who? Don't you know people on the internet are perverts? I thought your father and I raised you better than that."

"Don't you dare insult him. He's a better person than you could ever hope to be," Charlie seethes, leaning into his lover's touch. "How did you know? I never told you and I don't know anyone who would."

"I went to your university and they said you put in a transfer," Olivia Eppes says in disgust. "I haven't seen you in ten years and when I do you tell me you're gay and you've moved across the world. Unbelievable. You disappoint me, Charles."

"You know what? I don't care. You abandoned me. I don't give a shit what you think about me or my life. Goodbye, mother."

Charlie slams his phone shut and barely resists the urge to snap it in half. He turns around, sagging in Don's embrace and letting those familiar arms soothe away his worries. "I'm sorry you had to hear that," he murmurs, feeling tears burn his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Shh, it's okay," Don soothes, pulling Charlie closer to him. "What was that about?"

"My mother. Ten years ago my Dad died and she left. I hadn't heard a word from her until now." Charlie sighs. "Now I don't know what to do."

"No parent should leave their child after a traumatic event like a death," Alan pipes up, his face a hard mask. "Don't let it bother you, Charlie. We may not know each other well enough to know what the other person's favorite food is," _at this, Charlie laughs, _"but I see you're with my son for the long run. That makes you a part of our family."

"Exactly," Don confirms, pulling his lover away enough so he can kiss his forehead. "I love you, Chuck. You're the one thing in my life that's always been good."

Charlie rolls his eyes at the nickname but a warm feeling of love courses through his being at the small, almost chaste, kiss. "Same here, Donnie. I'd do anything for you."

"Now that we have that established," Alan says, breaking the tender moment with a grin, "how about we watch a game?"

**X**

It's past two a.m. when Don and Charlie leave the Eppes family house with a goodbye and a promise to return. Charlie looks out the window, his eyes seeming to be far away, and it causes Don to look at his lover with concern. _What did his mother say that made him this bad?_

"Are you all right, Charlie?" he asks after a few minutes of silence. "You've been quiet since we left."

"I never told you this," Charlie begins, heaving a heavy sigh. He moves his hand to rest on Don's arm, the familiar texture of it causing his nerves to calm down a bit. "My mother… She hated me. She told me countless times she wished I was never born. Sometimes…" Here he pauses and grips the older man's arm hard enough that his knuckles turn white. "Sometimes she'd hit me."

"Charlie," Don breathes out, covering Charlie's smaller hand with his. "Why did you never say anything? Six years and you never thought to bring this up?"

"I didn't know how to and I did simple math which told me it wasn't important enough to mention."

"Yeah, well, for once your math is wrong."

Charlie runs his hand up to squeeze Don's shoulder. "Shh. Don't do this to yourself," he soothes, running his hand in slow circles to try and ease the tension in the muscles.

"I know there were things you never told me about you; hell, there's some things about me that you don't know. But dammit Charlie, I'd think being beaten by your mother would be something you'd bring up."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Charlie drops his hand and sets them on his lap. He knows Don has a right to be angry, he'd probably be angry too if their positions were reversed. Despite that, he wished he could make his lover see that it was hard to bring up his most painful childhood memories.

"Tell me these things from now on." Seeing Charlie's tense frame, the older man sighs and squeezes his hand once they reach another red light. "I think I understand why you never told me, but no more of that, okay baby?"

"Okay." Charlie fights back the tears and squeezes Don's hand back. He feels as if they've overcome a major hurdle in their relationship, and it reinstates his earlier feeling that he's found the one he wants to spend his forever with.

**X**

The professors at CalSci welcome him with open arms. His work was (apparently) well known within the math community so they were quite pleased with having him on board. He met the director of the maths department (who also was the director of the physics and cosmology ones) and while they got off on the wrong foot, eventually Charlie warms up to Mildred (Millie, he reminds himself) Finch.

He meets Professor Larry Fleinhardt of the physics department and even though he's leaving on some space trip in a matter of weeks, Charlie assumes they started off on the right foot. The professor shows him around, points out the various aspects of the university, and Charlie decides he likes Larry. He later finds out his relationship with Megan, and he thinks that their relationship is a lot like the one he shares with Don.

As they watch the shuttle get sent into orbit, the doorbell rings. Alan excuses himself to go answer it and Charlie can't help the feeling of dread that courses through his blood. It proves to be right as a familiar voice echoes through the house. "Charles?"

Charlie freezes. Slowly, he turns his head, meeting the cold eyes of his mother. "Mother," he replies, and at that instant, Don's moved from the chair he was sitting in to Charlie's side. "What are you doing here?"

Alan looks guilty but Charlie doesn't blame the man. He never knew his mother and he never described her to him or Don.

"I wanted to see what made you move," Olivia Eppes says, her eyes moving to the agents in the room to settle on her son's face. "Are these all your new friends?"

Charlie almost loses it at the motherly tone in her voice. He knows she's putting on a show for the others in the room, but he's not buying it, and from the look on Don's face, he's not buying it either. He's about to say something when Don pipes up with, "Don't act like the mother you never were."

"Excuse me?" Olivia gives Don a disapproving look. "Who are you?"

"His name is Don Eppes," Charlie interrupts his lover before he can say anything. "The love of my life."

His mother's eyes widen. "You have the same last name. You're not related, are you?"

"No. I checked our family trees and all we share is the name."

"At least you haven't sunk that low," Olivia mutters with disgust and Charlie feels as if she punched him in the stomach. He may have never known what a mother's love was like, but it didn't mean her attacks, mental or physical, never hurt.

"I think you should leave," Don says, his voice taking on dangerous, low tone, "now."

"Who are you to order me around?"

"I'd listen to my son, Mrs. Eppes. He's in the FBI and could have you arrested for harassment," Alan adds in, showing her the door. "and I'd also suggest not coming near your son ever again."

He shuts the door behind Olivia and Charlie sags against his lover, trembling against him and burying himself in Don's familiar warmth. Don holds him close in response, murmuring soothing words in his ear and stroking his back in slow circles.

Eventually, the trembling stops and Charlie looks at his newfound friends in embarrassment. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he mumbles, color flushing his cheeks.

"Don't worry about it," Megan reassures, reaching over and patting Charlie's arm. "Your reactions tell me all I need to know. We'll protect you if she comes around again, right guys?"

"Count on it," Colby agrees, grinning a bit. "Really man, it's okay. She seemed like a bitch with a capital B."

"Yeah," Charlie agrees, laughing a little. He rests his head on Don's shoulder and closes his eyes, letting the older man's body heat reduce the tension in his muscles. The hand in his hair relaxes him all the more and in almost no time at all, he's pliant against his lover's body.

**X**

"What's your ring size?"

"Hm?"

"Humor me."

Don narrows his eyes, feeling sleep tug at him, but the tone in Charlie's voice makes it ebb away a little. "Eight."

Charlie smiles, running his hand along Don's cheek. "That's all I wanted to know. Go back to sleep."

Despite the curiosity tugging at him, the older man complies with his lover's request, drifting to a peaceful slumber.

**X**

"This one is fine, thank you."

The jeweler nods and hands him the ring. Charlie pays for it, takes the box, and leaves the store, his stomach turning in knots. He can't remember the last time he felt so nervous, but he knows he's doing the right thing. Since moving to Los Angeles all those months ago, the feeling of wanting to spend the rest of his life with Don did nothing but intensify. Gay marriage wasn't legal in California, but maybe someday it would be.

He gets in his Prius (a gift from Don, just because, he said) and drives to the Craftsman. He was still a bit disorientated when it came to driving on the other side of the car, but he was getting used to it day by day.

Charlie knocks on the door, finding it the proper thing to do even if he had a key. Alan opens it a few seconds later, giving him a wide smile and ushering him inside. "Charlie, what brings you here?" Instead of answering, Charlie fishes the box out of his pocket and shows it to Alan, only mildly surprised to see the tears in the man's eyes once he realizes what it is. "Oh, son. You'll make my boy the happiest man alive."

"That's the idea," Charlie says, smiling a little. "When he gets off work, could you tell him to come here? I want your family house to be where we begin our new lives together."

"Of course," Alan agrees, giving Charlie a famous Alan Eppes hug. "Welcome to the family, my future son-in-law."

**X**

Don's familiar voice echoes through the old house and Charlie can feel his stomach turning in more knots than when he got the ring. "In here, Donnie!"

"Hey, where's the party?" Don teases affectionately, his smile turning to a slight frown at the look on Charlie's face. "What's going on?"

Charlie lets out a heavy sigh, moving towards his lover and gripping his hand. "Don. It's been almost seven years since we first met and we've spent nearly four of them together. I can't imagine anyone in my life that I'd love as much as I love you." He mirrors the smile on the older man's face. "You've given me some of the best memories of my life and we've been through almost everything a couple can go through. There's nothing I value more than you."

"You value me more than math?" Don cuts in, grinning. "I'd say that's an accomplishment."

"Smartass," Charlie mutters, affection in his tone. "As I was saying before you interrupted me, there's nothing I value more than you. Not math, not my life, nothing. I'd take a bullet if it meant you'd live another day." Seeing that Don was about to say something, Charlie puts a hand on his mouth, his smile widening. "I'm not saying I'll be jumping in front of bullets every day. That's your job.

You've accepted me through my best times and my worst. You've learned my darkest secrets and still loved me and for that I love you all the more. So, what I'm asking is-…" Swallowing, Charlie moves down on one knee, fishing the ring box out of his pocket, the smile on his face turning to a grin as Don's eyes widen. "Don Eppes, will you marry me?"

"Charlie," Don moves down to join him on the floor, embracing the smaller man in a hug tighter than any one he received before. "Yes, a thousand times yes. I will."

Charlie feels tears burn his eyes as he takes the ring and slides on his newfound fiancé's ring finger. "I love you."

"I love you," Don repeats and Charlie can feel him smile against his neck. "More than I ever thought possible."

* * *

**_TBC._**


End file.
